And now for something completely different ...
A good journalist knows when to put down the dust mop and grab the camera.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Was that "Knol" or "Null"?So Google has this new thing called "Knol" that is going to replace "Wikipedia" by being more complex. Instead of people just dropping in and changing entries, now they'll have to sign their names and, if they want to change things, as I understand it, they'll have to consult with the original writer.
Now, I only change things for a living, but this sounds like ... well, never mind. Let's look up some things and see how they do, because it's not fair to trash a concept without giving it a chance.
So ... how about Jimmy Stewart?
Search Results:
No results found for Jimmy Stewart
Okay. Let's look up "Thirty Years War."
Okay. Let's look up "Thirty Years War."
Search Results:
No results found for Thirty Years War
That's okay. Um ... Mona Lisa ...
That's okay. Um ... Mona Lisa ...
Search Results:
No results found for Mona Lisa
How about "Missouri"?
How about "Missouri"?
Search Results:
No results found for Missouri
Search Results:
No results found for Mickey Mouse
Search Results:
No results found for Julius Caesar
Search Results:
No results found for penguin
Search Results:
No results found for America
Finally! Let's look at "Dog Training" by Sierra Senyak. Here it is:
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Search Results:
Results 1-3 of about 3 for dog
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No dog is born with good manners. Pooping on the carpet, leaping enthusiastically onto guests, pulling so hard he practically yanks your arm out of the socket when on walks -- that's all perfectly acceptable in the canine world. It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way we humans want him to. Not training your dog and expecting him to be pleasant to live with is like never sending your child to school and expecting him to ace the SATs.
As well as making life with your dog more enjoyable, training is the best gift you can ever give your pup; friendly, housetrained, well-behaved dogs are less likely to be surrendered to shelters or put down. Plus, training is a great way to bond with your dog or puppy.
Despite the adage about old dogs and new tricks, there are no age limits to teaching dogs: puppies as young as three weeks old can learn, as can adult dogs of any age. And whether you've got a brand-new pup or a senior dog, the first step is the same: learn how to be a good teacher.
See all at DogTime.com.
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The verbiage here is cut-and-pasted from Dogtime.com, which is a commercial site that wants you to basically buy in. So this Knol entry is essentially an ad.
Let's go the next one:
Um ... it's another director to Dogtime.com
Okay, let's try the third entry:
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Today, class, I will be lecturing on dog genetics. As you may know, our canine friends are descended from wolves. How did wolves turn in to dogs? Humans messed with their DNA by selective breeding. Want to create a dog with a long tail? Only let long tail wolves mate.
Dogs are wolf mutants.
What can we learn from this? The more your dog looks like a wolf, the closer your dog is to nature. The wimpier your dog is, the more your dog is a man-made freak. I know this is harsh, but it is the truth.
You homework assignment is to use the visual scale below to rank your dog’s wolf-freak level.
Dogs are wolf mutants.
What can we learn from this? The more your dog looks like a wolf, the closer your dog is to nature. The wimpier your dog is, the more your dog is a man-made freak. I know this is harsh, but it is the truth.
You homework assignment is to use the visual scale below to rank your dog’s wolf-freak level.
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(I didn't stop ... that was the entire entry)
Oh, yes, this is much better than Wikipedia. Now, granted, Wikipedia has entries for Jimmy Stewart, Thirty Years War, Mona Lisa, Missouri, Mickey Mouse, Julius Caesar, penguin, and America, but when you ask about dogs, what do you get?
Well, you get an article about dogs, and you get references to
- Bark (dog)
- Dog king – Scandinavian tradition
- Dog licence
- Dog odor
- Dog paddle – basic swimming stroke
- Dog park
- Fear of dogs
- List of dog breeds
- List of dogs
- List of fictional dogs
- List of most popular dog breeds
- Subspecies of Canis lupus
- Wolf-dog hybrid
You call that a reference work? Feh.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The people of old Mississippi should all hang their heads in shame!I can't understand how their minds work --
What's the matter -- Don't they watch Les Crane?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal.
(That's Crane on the right, interviewing Mario Savio
of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement)
of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement)
I remember the Les Crane Show and was surprised to read that it had such a short run. I suppose it hit at the right moment -- I was still at home (so I watched TV) and I was at an age where I stayed up late. Apparently, I wasn't in the demographic he needed.
And today I'm in the wise-ass demographic that will come away from this obituary pondering a man who divorced Tina Louise and married a woman named Ginger.
In any case, there was a time when the media was truly liberal. Les Crane, Laugh-in, the Smothers Brothers, David Susskind and the like were all over the tube. Very good for the New Yorker crowd, perhaps not so good for selling Shake-and-Bake.
And today I'm in the wise-ass demographic that will come away from this obituary pondering a man who divorced Tina Louise and married a woman named Ginger.
In any case, there was a time when the media was truly liberal. Les Crane, Laugh-in, the Smothers Brothers, David Susskind and the like were all over the tube. Very good for the New Yorker crowd, perhaps not so good for selling Shake-and-Bake.
